Visceral Fat Stands Out as a Key Driver of Stress urinary incontinence Risk

Obesity is a recognized risk factor for Stress urinary incontinence (SUI). To explore this relationship further, a cross-sectional study evaluated the association between fat mass distribution and SUI symptoms, along with their impact on daily activities, in 122 women with a mean age of 34.3 years. Women with SUI had significantly higher total, android, gynoid, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) fat mass compared with those without SUI. Notably, increases in VAT fat mass were associated with greater odds of SUI (31.4%) than increases in total (0.4%), android (4.4%), and gynoid (2.6%) fat mass.

VAT fat mass was also associated with a 51% higher likelihood of SUI. Additionally, greater VAT accumulation correlated with a 16.0% increase in urinary symptom-related discomfort and a 9.3% greater impact on daily activities among women with SUI. These findings suggest that VAT fat mass is more…